Kathleen Ekey, shown during her University of Alabama playing career at event in 2008, led the LPGA Futures Tour in money winnings this year and will be exempt on the LPGA Tour in 2012.

Former University of Alabama golfer Bud Cauley has deservedly made a lot headlines with his stellar play on the PGA Tour, and he is on the cusp of a 2012 tour card if he can have another solid week this week at the McGladrey Classic.

However, he's not the only former Crimson Tider making a name in professional golf this year.

Kathleen Ekey, who graduated from the Capstone in 2009, led the money list on the LPGA Futures Tour (the Nationwide Tour of the LPGA) and will be exempt on the LPGA Tour in 2012.

She played for coach Mic Potter at Alabama and hails from Sharon Township in Ohio, but also maintains a residence in Tuscaloosa. She transfered to Alabama after two years at Furman, where Potter used to be the women's golf coach.

At Alabama she was named honorable mention All-American both years, as well as first-team All-SEC twice.

She led the LPGA Futures Tour with $66,412 in earnings from 16 events, which included two wins and seven other top-10s.

While the money she won is relatively low, it's the LPGA Tour card that makes it all worthwhile.

"I did what I needed to do to get where I wanted to go," was her assessment of her play this year. "I grew up a lot this year and that's what the Futures Tour is all about."

Cauley now has two top-four finishes on the PGA Tour (tied for fourth, Viking Classic, and solo third, Frys.Com Open) in just seven events. He is close to earning fully exempt status on next year's PGA Tour. This is especially impressive as he has been a pro only since the U.S. Open in June, leaving Alabama a year early to start his career in the paid ranks.

Currently he has won $671,150, which would place him 114th on the money list if he were a tour member. With two events left, if he can stay within the all-important top 125, he will be exempt next year.

His third place last week gets him in the field this week, which was significant because he wouldn't have made it any other way. And this week's venue -- the Seaside Course in Sea Island, Ga. -- is one he is familiar with because it hosts the SEC Championship each April.

He finished tied for fifth there in 2009 and tied for 10th this year. He did not play in 2010 as he played at Hilton Head in the Verizon Heritage, his first PGA Tour event, for which he qualified by winning the 2009 Players Amateur.

He has certainly hit the ground running since qualifying for the U.S. Open and is a perfect seven-for-seven in cuts made.

Should he hold his position within the top 125, he will become only the seventh college player to earn a tour card without going to "Q" School. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard are three who have done it, with Ryan Moore the most recent in 2005.